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We’ve received lots of feedback about our new app. Here Tom Whitwell, Head of Digital for The Times and Sunday Times, explains how we’re using each and every response to improve the experience for all our customers

Dear reader,

As you know, last week we released a major update to The Times iPad app. This
was in response to many readers’ suggestions on how to improve our products.
The Times and The Sunday Times are now available as one app, which includes
live breaking news, access to more puzzles, overnight Newsstand delivery and
storage for up to 31 days of editions.

However, we are aware that some readers are having problems with the new app
and we are working very hard to address these. We’ve made some initial
changes in a new version that will be in the App Store within a few days.
This will improve Newsstand overnight downloads and app stability.

Based on your direct feedback, our development team have identified a number
of further performance enhancements that we are now testing and developing.
Before launching this app we invested in a very rigorous test process. Over
600 readers generously tested the app for a total of 20,000 hours, offering
feedback that has been invaluable. Like all iPad apps, it was tested by
Apple before release. Unfortunately, it was not enough.

Not every reader has been able to enjoy the app as we intended. For this we
offer our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and our thanks for the
time you have spent describing your experience. Every bit of information
makes it easier to diagnose and resolve problems.

From talking to you over the last few days we have identified that the most
acute issues are linked to the level of memory available on certain iPads.
In many cases this can be improved on the device itself. To help with this
we have produced a guide to ensuring that your tablet runs as smoothly as
possible, which you can find by tapping or clicking on the tab at the top of
this article.

To those readers who have enjoyed the new experience and have sent us
suggestions for new features we pass on our thanks. We are taking this all
on board. However, our immediate focus is on delivering that same level of
reliable user experience for all our customers.

We will continue to keep you updated with news of new releases over the coming
weeks as they are developed, thoroughly tested and submitted to Apple for
their approval. This does take time, but please be assured we are working as
quickly as we can.

Please do continue to contact us with any questions via live
chat and email help@timesplus.co.uk where we have 24/7 cover available.